36 37 ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS IN OUR DNA. Founded in 2003 by a small team of explorers, Kosmos Energy was once a start-up too. Now a successful, publicly- traded company, we know what it’s like to see an opportunity, pursue a dream, and grow a business. By nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and facilitating innovation in sectors beyond oil and gas, we are contributing to the creation of healthier and more diverse economies. HOW WE WORK The Kosmos Innovation Center works in three ways: We light a fire in young people by training them to see opportunities that others miss, giving them the confidence to view themselves as entrepreneurs instead of employees and job creators instead of job seekers. We do it by delivering a best-in-class leadership and entrepreneurship program. We provide a full life-cycle of support to the most promising entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small businesses. We do it through tailored coaching, skills building, expert mentorship, seed funding, and facilitating connections within and across industries. We position young entrepreneurs to tackle tough problems in key sectors and channel their talent into innovative, private sector- led solutions. We do this through the KIC’s distinctive focus on commercial solutions and local knowledge. KIC Ghana started in 2016. Our programs focus on empowering young men and women to drive innovation in agriculture, the country’s largest employer, and training them to lead sustainable, successful businesses. AgriTech Challenge The AgriTech Challenge is an annual competition that identifies young people who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs and provides them with business and leadership training, mentorship, and a network of support. We encourage them through coaching and market research tours across Ghana to take a fresh look at the agriculture value chain to identify new areas of business opportunity. The goal is to show them what’s possible – personally and professionally – if they’re willing to put in the effort. Business training and mentorship is delivered at key stages in the program and as part of a life-cycle of development and support. Individual competitors join together to establish teams which then participate in a series of pitch and elimination events, during which they present their ideas to a panel of judges. Seed funding is offered to the final high-potential teams who go on to enter a dedicated incubator program. The AgriTech Challenge has identified, nurtured, and funded some of the most promising youth-driven agritech startups in Ghana today. KIC Start-Up Incubator When our young entrepreneurs take the next step and form promising businesses, the KIC is there to help them refine their ideas, establish their companies, and overcome barriers to growth. This multi-year process involves more focused business training, specialized coaching, and potential access to seed funding from KIC or other entities willing to invest start- up or growth capital. The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) has been our partner in delivering the incubator program. Operating out of the MEST Incubator facility in Accra, this full-time program focuses on mentoring and nurturing promising start-up companies through training and investment. KIC is now working to open its own dedicated start-up hub in Accra in the summer of 2019. Business Booster In 2017, the Business Booster program was launched to accelerate the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector. After a rigorous screening process, agribusinesses are selected for two week-long ‘Boot Camps’ which offer mentorship and coaching to help participants refine their business plans, mitigate financial and operational constraints, rapidly prototype new products and services, and prepare to meet potential investors. The Business Booster program facilitates links with local and international investors, fostering relationships between businesses, like-minded entrepreneurs, and across industries. Kosmos Innovation Center The Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) invests in young entrepreneurs and small businesses. We empower entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into viable, self-sustaining businesses and we work alongside promising small businesses to help them scale and reach their full potential. INSPIRE INVEST TRANSFORM EACH KOSMOS INNOVATION CENTER PROGRAM IS DRIVEN BY LOCAL STAFF AND PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERTS, RESULTING IN A DISTINCTIVE FOCUS ON COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE. OUR CUSTOMIZED, BEST-IN-CLASS BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAMS FEATURE A MIX OF SKILLS TRAINING, MENTORSHIP AND SEED FUNDING. GHANA - OUR FLAGSHIP INITIATIVE